C13- The Earth's atmosphere

Question 1

What was the Earth’s early atmosphere like?
Why was it like this?
Why is this only a theory?
What planets is this similar to?

Answer 1

Large amount of CO2, some water vapour and nitrogen, traces of ammonia and methane and no oxygen
Volcanic activity
Earth is thought to be formed around 4.6 billion years ago
Venus and MArs

Question 2

How did the oxygen in the atmosphere increase?

Answer 2

Algae and bacteria evolved and began to use photosynthesis which produced oxygen. Increased organisms using photosynthesis through time

Question 3

How did the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decrease?

Answer 3

Uptake by organisms during photosynthesis which then formed…
-Fossil fuels, carbon in living organisms buried under pressure in the ocean
Formed sedimentary rocks, carbon dissolved into oceans then formed sedimentary rocks with carbon in them

Question 4

How was coal formed?
How was crude oil formed?

Answer 4

Deposits of plant material buried with little oxygen
Small organisms buried with little oxygen

Question 5

How did ammonia and methane decrease over time?

Answer 5

They react with oxygen produced from photosynthesis

Question 6

What are the percentages of gases in the atmosphere today?

Answer 6

Nitrogen 78%
Oxygen 21%
Argon 0.9%
Traces of carbon dioxide, water vapour, noble gases

Question 7

3 main greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?

Answer 7

Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour

Question 8

What does the Earth do with radiation?

Answer 8

Earth absorbs most radiation, warms up
Earth radiates some energy which goes into space
Some of the energy is absorbed by greenhouse gases, atmosphere temp rises

Question 9

How has greenhouse gases increased recently..
Carbon dioxide?
Methane?

Answer 9

Burning of fossil fuels
Emissions from growing number of grazing cattle, rice fields

Question 10

Is climate change caused by greenhouse gases from human activity?

Answer 10

Hard to predict and verify the effects
Most scientists show that greenhouse gases from human activity will increase global temperatures

Question 11

4 consequences of global warming

Answer 11

Rising sea levels- melting ice caps and expanding warm oceans
Increased extreme weather events- storms
Changes in temp and rainfall- drought
Changes to wildlife- extinction

Question 12

Carbon footprint meaning?
Carbon capture and storage meaning?

Answer 12

The total amount of greenhouse gases emitted over a product/service’s full life cycle
Pumping carbon dioxide deep underground into rocks

Question 13

4 ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Answer 13

-Reduce meat consumption
-Taxing companies that produce large amounts of CO2
-Avoiding car usage of fossil fuels
-Replanting trees

Question 14

2 Problems of reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Answer 14

-High costs for implementing changes
-Political disagreements between countries

Question 15

3 other impurities created when burning fossil fuels and their problems?

Answer 15

Sulfur dioxide–> causes acid rain that damages trees and kills plant life in lakes
Incomplete combustion creates carbon monoxide–> toxic to humans, deadly
Nitrogen oxides–> affect people with asthma, and causes acid rain